HomeMy WebLinkAbout2026-05-06-TCC-minTOWN CELEBRATIONS COMMITTEE
Minutes of Meeting
May 6, 2026, via Zoom Teleconference
Full Committee Members Present (quorum = 7): David Grabel and Sudha Balasuryan, Co -Chairs;
Cerise Jalelian, Sandy Podgorski, Linda Dixon, Lorain Marquis, Ashley Rooney, Pam Winters, Sue
Stering
Absent: Mary Hutton, Geetha Padaki, Sondra Lucente
Subcommittee Members Present: Elsie Xu, Sharon Spaulding, Bonnie Karshbaum, Bill Keim, Simon
Rubenstein, Sam Ang, Barry Cunha, Jamie Lee, Sub Datta, Sam Ang
Absent: Seema Badaya, Brianna Karshbaum, Barry Cunha, Hong Xie
Meeting Opened
Co -Chair Sudha Balasuryan officially opened the meeting at 7:00 PM and recited the Zoom
introduction and instructions.
The meeting began with the approval of minutes of April 15, 2026 which were to be forwarded to the
town office for posting.
The Town Celebrations Committee met to review Patriots Day events and plan for Memorial Day
ceremonies. The committee discussed lessons learned from Patriots Day, including challenges with
the parade ambassador program where 28 out of 90+ participants did not show up, and successful
delivery of events despite some difficulties. For Memorial Day, the committee reviewed the planned
schedule including wreath -laying ceremonies, cemetery visits, and a gazebo ceremony at Emory
Park, with discussions about program materials, music arrangements, and potential speakers from
Hanscom Air Force Base. The committee also addressed upcoming elections for co-chairs and
secretary positions, and briefly discussed planning for the 2027 "Dancing Around the World" event.
Patriots Day Events Review Meeting
The Town Celebrations Committee met to review the Patriots Day parade and reenactment events.
The committee approved the minutes from the April 15th meeting and discussed the overall success
of the recent events, with members expressing pride in their contributions. The group was
encouraged to continue adding thoughts and feedback to the lessons learned spreadsheet for future
improvements.
Parade Planning and Feedback Review
Cerise expressed gratitude to the team for their hard work on the parade and mentioned that
inquiries about parade funds are still coming in, indicating the event is still ongoing. She confirmed
she would lead the parade again next year and emphasized the importance of lessons learned for
future improvements. The team received positive feedback with no complaints from parade units or
sponsors, and several members, including Bonnie, shared positive experiences and requests for next
year's event.
Event Feedback and Format Discussion
The group discussed feedback from a recent event, with Ashley noting that while people were
delighted about Linda winning an award, there was concern that only one award was given when
two could have been presented. The team expressed interest in potentially returning to traditional
morning events, with Bonnie and Simon agreeing to work together on upcoming events. The group
debated whether to move the parade back to the morning or keep the current evening format, with
Monuments suggesting careful consideration of any changes given the current successful program
format.
Parade Ambassador Program Review
The meeting focused on reviewing lessons learned from a recent parade event, particularly regarding
the parade ambassador program. Key issues discussed included high no-show rates (28 out of 90+
ambassadors) and challenges with the Grand Marshal's transportation. The committee
acknowledged the need to restructure both the ambassador and sponsorship programs to reduce
stress while maintaining fun and effectiveness. They also discussed improving the community
service credit process for parade ambassadors. The conversation ended with a brief update about
the Blues Brothers' participation being canceled due to car breakdown, and the discussion moved to
upcoming Memorial Day plans.
Event Planning and Coordination Meeting
The team discussed plans for an upcoming event, with Jamie outlining the schedule which follows
last year's format starting at 8:15 AM with the Minutemen doing wreath laying at various
monuments. Jamie agreed to follow up with Paul O'Shaughnessy about reading the Gettysburg
Address and suggested meeting with Sam Doran on the 17th for a run-through. The team also
discussed coordinating with scouts from Scouting America and Girl Scouts, with Cerise and Bonnie
helping with representation, and Linda agreed to create a narrative description of the event for
Ashley's publicity purposes.
Memorial Day Ceremony Planning
The team discussed plans for an upcoming Memorial Day ceremony at Emory Park. They confirmed
that permits for Battle Green and the march from the cemetery to Emory Park have been approved,
and the bus transportation has been arranged for $315. The group discussed inviting speakers from
Hanscom Air Force Base, with Pam offering to provide email contacts and Town agreeing to reach
out directly. They clarified that service flags would not be used during the outdoor ceremony, and the
Minutemen would handle the color guard with a plan to retire the colors immediately after the
national anthem.
Event Program Display Alternatives
The group discussed alternatives to printed programs for an upcoming event. They agreed to explore
using easels with large poster programs and QR codes to provide digital access, with Bonnie
suggesting including a physical program on at least one easel for those without smartphones. Pam
noted concerns about wind sensitivity of easels from previous events, and Sudha suggested using
tripod banner stands as an alternative solution. The group also planned to collaborate on creating a
universal graphic design for Memorial Day promotions that could be used across various platforms
including the website, program cover, and social media.
Memorial Day Event Planning Updates
The team discussed arrangements for the upcoming Memorial Day event. Monuments reported that
they have secured replacement musicians, with Pat Donaher (a saxophonist) and Paul Carlson
(keyboard artist) agreeing to perform, though they are still waiting for confirmation. Town agreed to
serve as the MC for the event, and he committed to reaching out to Doug and Jill to ensure Select
Board representation. Lorain reminded the team to submit expense invoices promptly to avoid fiscal
year complications, noting that chair rentals will be directly billed to the town this year, with 200
chairs rented instead of the previous 250.
Event Planning and Leadership Updates
The committee discussed plans for an upcoming event, deciding to cancel if serious rain occurs since
it's not a holiday and rescheduling would be difficult. They agreed to update their task list to avoid
repeating this discussion annually. The group also addressed upcoming elections for co-chairs and
secretary positions, with current leaders expressing willingness to remain in their roles. Regarding
"Dancing Around the World" for 2027, Sudha and Simon volunteered to research and plan the event,
with discussions to continue at the next meeting in two weeks.
Next steps
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Next full TCC Meeting, 05/20/2026 starting at 7:00 PM via Zoom.
These minutes were transcribed from Al and
Submitted by Cerise Jalelian, TCC Full Committee Member